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Oct. 2 1923.

1,469,549 F. F. VANDEWATER RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION SIGNAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1923 F. F. VANDEWATER RAILWA; CLASSIFICATION SIGNAL Filed may 21, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct; 2, 1923.

Patented Oct. 2, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRED F. VANDEWATER, 0F HORNELL, NEW YORK.

RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION SIGNAL.

Application filed May 21,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I. From F. VANDEWATER, a citizen of the United States. residing at Hornell. Steuben County, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Classification Signals, of which the following is a'specification.

This invention relates to classification signals and the primary object of the invention is to furnish a signalling apparatus provided with a combined white flag and white lamp and a combined green flag and green lamp, the White flag in daylight at the front of the locomotive indicating: that the locomotive is hauling an extra train while the white lamp provides a similar indica at night. The green flap during, ll y ll flik will indicate that two or more trains are running g n the same schedule While the green lamp will furnish a similar indication in the dark.

A further object, of the invention is to furnish a classification signal of the above character' of simple and inexpensive con struction which may be readily attached to or detached from the head of a locomotive, andwhich will. house the Hugs and lamps when the same are not in use, in order to protect said flags and lamps from the elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide said signalling apparatus with a combined flag and lamp arranged on a pivot extending longitudinally of the locomotive,

so that a simple swinging movement out Wardly will cause the combined flag and lamp to assume a position transversely of the ocomotive, whereby the flag and lamp may be readily seen from the front, side or rear of the locomotive.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which. will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein after described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of. one of the,-

signalling devices arranged on the head of the locomotive.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail taken. on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

1923. Serial No. 640,468.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bracket employed in fixing the casing of the apparatus to the head of a locomotive.

single apparatus only is disclosed in the drawings. but during practical operation, it is to be understood that an apparatus of this character is to be mounted at either side of the head of a locomotive.

In the d rawing. l designates a casing prov dcd with a substantially U shaped rein l l'll'filng dlQlllCDt 2. secured to the casing by rivets or the like. A bracket element 3 is secured to one side of the member 2 and is provided with a T-shaped head i, as shown in Fig. 5. which is adapted to enter a socket in a bracket member 6. the latter being fixed to the head of theTlocomotive 7. By these means the casing and the. elements carried by the same, may be quickly attached to or detached from the head of the locomo tive.

The casing is preferably provided with a partition 8, vertically disposed and lon itudinally extending transversely of the ocomotive, and the outer end of the casing has swinging doors 9, one of which closes the chamber at one side of the partition, vhile the other closes the chamber at the other side of the partition. Sprin r catches 10 are. provided for the purpose 0' holding these doors in closed position, and when it is desired to open a door it is only necessary to lift the outer end of its latch upward to release the door.

The compartments formed on the opposite sides of the partition 8, are adapted to house the signalling members 11 and 12, one of which is painted white and carries a lamp projecting white rays, while the other of which is painted green and has a lamp projecting green rays. As both of these members It and 12 are similar in construction, a single one only will be described. Each member consists of a rigid staff 13 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on abolt or shaft 14, which extends longitudi nallv of the locomotive. so that when the staff is moved downwardly and outwardly, the rigid flag 15 which it carries will be disposed transversely of the locomotive. This position of the flag will permit the same to be readily seen from a position forward of the locomotive. The staff 13 and flag 15 are rigidly connected together or they may be formed of a sin le piece of relatively still sheet metal, an the flag is provided with an aperture 16 covered by a lens 17. If a white light is to be displayed the lens 17 will be constructed to emit substantially white light rays. while if a green light is to be displayed, the lens 17 will be constructed to emit green rays. Arranged on the rear side of the flag is a s ibstantially cylindrical casing 18 preferably of sheet metal and provided with a closed end 19 which supports a socket 20 for a light bulb 21. The socket 20 is connected by wires 22 to a hand operated controlling switch 23, and the switch is to be connected to any suitable source of electric current, (not shown). The casing 18 of the lamp has its outer end opened, as shown at 24, and this end is covered by a detachable lens 25 adapted to direct the rays from the lamp bulb 21 outwardly and to one side of the head of the locomotive.

Thebolt or shaft 14 is carried by inclined bracket bars 26 which have their. upper ends riveted to the casing l. The bolt 14 connects the lower ends of the two members 26.

A substantially Ushaped stop bar 27 has its upwardly extending arms riveted to the casing 1, and a cross head .28 of this stop bar is bent upwardly at 29. so as to engage the inner end of the stall 13, when the flag 15 is swung out of the casing.

The lamp casing 18 also has an a 'icrturc 30 to permit light rays to lJ( omitted rearwardly, so that the engineer may observe whether or not the lamp is illuminated.

Recesses 31 are cut in the bottom of the casing 1 in order to accommodate the stalls 13 when the flags and lamps are swung into casing 1.

For the purpose of the present disclosure, we will consider the member 11 as the white signal, and the member 12 as the green signal, so for running an extra train in daylight, the operator will open the front one of the doors 9, and then he may grasp the flag 15 of the member 11 and swing said flag outwardly and downwardly until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 3, and in this position the inner end of the staff 13 will abut against the cross head 28 of the stop bar and the flag will he held in a substantially rigid condition. If the extra train is running at night, then the operator in addition. to swinging the member 11 outwardly will also operate the switch 23 associated with the member 11, so that the white lamp will be illuminated.

If the same operations are to be performed. for regular schedule trains, then the green flag or the green flag and lamp will be operated in the same manner.

I desire particularly to call attention to the fact that in my construction, a single movement of the flag l5 outwardly and downwardly brings the flag into a position transverse to the locomotive and the flag is rigidly held in this position, so that the same may be readily seen in thi position forward from the locomotive. Fm-lln-rmorr. during night running. the lamp may not only be readily seen from the front of the locomotive, but the light will be directed outwardly to one side as well.

, From the foregoing it is believed that the construction. operation and advantages of the invention may be readily undcrstood, and it is apparent that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a locomotive, of

a housing arranged at the front ortion of the same; and a pivotally mountet flag stall having a. rigidly attached rigid flag extend ing transversely of the locomotive at all ,times, said stall and flag being movable in a vertical plane extending transversely of the locomotive and adapted to be moved into and .out of said housin 2. A train classification signal apparatus including a casing adapted to be mounted on the head of the locomotive, a pivot pin carried by said casing and extending longitudinally of the locomotive, rigid stalls having their intermediate portions pivotally mounted on said pivot pin and movable in 'vertical planes transversely of the locomolive, combined flags and lamps rigidly attached tosaid stalls and adapted to be housed within the casing when the same are not in use, and a stop bar connected to the casing and adapted to engage the free ends of the stafl's for holding the flags and lamps in fixed positions, when the flag staffs are engaging said sto bar, said flags extending transversely of t e locomotive at all times. i

3. A train classification signal apparatus including acasing provided with means for attaching the same to the front portion of a, locomotive, one side of said casing being open, swinging doors for closing the open side of said casing, a. stop bar connected to the casing and arranged longitudinally of the locomotive, a pivot pin supported by the casing, and extending longitudinally of the locomotive, staffs having their intermediate portions mounted on said pivot pin and swingahle into positions to engage said stop bar, a ll. ri idly connected to each of said stalls, and a lhmp connected to each of said flags, said flags extending transversely of the locomotive at all times.

4. The combination with a locomotive, of a housing arranged at the front portion of the same, a pivot pin associated with said housing and extending longitudinally of the locomotive, rigid flag stalls aivotally monnted on said pivotpin and inc uding means for preventing the stafi's from moving endwise on said pivot pin, flagsarigidly connected tn said stalls, lamps carried by said flags, a. stop bar extending longitudinally of the 10- 5 comotiw and. adapted to be engaged by said fia staffs for holding the latter in substantial ly horizontal positions, said housing havsignature 7 FRED F. VANDEWATER. 

